Merrie England in the olden time / by George Daniel.

  • George Daniel
Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Merrie England in the olden time / by George Daniel. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ship, exchanged “ thoughts that breathe, and words that burn,” so beautifully described by Beaumont in his letter to Jonson. “What things have we seen Done at the Mermaid ! heard words that have been So nimble, and so full of subtle flame, As if that every one from whom they came. Had meant to put his whole wit in a jest!” Travelling by the swift power of imagination, we looked in at Wills and Buttons; beheld the honoured chair that was set apart for the use of Dryden; and watched Pope, then a boy, lisping in numbers, regarding his great master with filial reverence, as he delivered his critical aphorisms to the assembled wits. Nor did we miss the Birch-Rod that “ the bard who pilfer’d pastoral renown ” hung up at Buttons to chastise “ tuneful Alexis of the Thames’ fair side,” his own back smarting from satirical twigs that little Alexis had and finding strange people in the house, and the sign changed, he wrote as follows:— “ When Hope and Prudence kept this house, the Angel kept the door ; Now Hope is dead, the Angel fled, and Prudence turn’d a w !” At another time he designed to pass through the Half Moon in Aldersgate Street, but the door being shut, he was denied entrance ; so he went to the Sun Tavern at the Long Lane end, and made this verse :— “ Since the Half Moon is so unkind. To make me go about; The Sun my money now shall have, And the Moon shall go without.” That he was often in pecuniary difficulties the following extracts from Henslowe’s papers painfully demonstrate. “Lent un to Bengemen Johnson, player, the 28 of July, 1507, in Redy money, the some of fower powndes, to be payed aga)me when so ever ether I, or any for me, shall demande yt—Witness E. Alleyn and John Synger.”—“ Lent Bengemyne Johnson, the 5 of Janewary, 1597-8, in redy money, the 8r)me of Vs.”
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